Preview: Saint Ignatius takes on Cleveland Heights
Thursday evening the Saint Ignatius Wildcats will travel to Cleveland Heights to take on the Tigers. It will be interesting to see how the Wildcats bounce back from a 10-point loss to Cornerstone Christian. Cleveland.com ranks Ignatius at no. 12 and Cleveland Heights at no. 9.
Cleveland Heights boasts experience that definitely puts them to an advantage for this matchup. They have four seniors that will be making an impact for them all season. The senior that does standout is Yahel Hill. Hill is a true point guard and has great basketball IQ. He has a quick first step, hits mid-range jumpers, and is a threat from three-point range. Yahel has not made his commitment yet but will be a great addition to a mid major’s 2018 class. Tyreke Smith had himself a night against Villa Angela Saint Joseph last Thursday and will look to build on that performance. Although Smith stands at 6’4, the Tigers are a smaller unit this year and pushing the tempo this season will be key to their success.
Cornerstone Christian ended a 25 home game win streak for Saint Ignatius this past Tuesday. The Wildcats are fairly young compared to Cleveland Heights. They boast two sophomore studs in their starting lineup: Chase Toppin and Tevin Jackson. These guys play like they are in their senior year; they have shown they can play at the varsity level. Leading the way for the Wildcats will be senior guard Neeko Melendez. Melendez was named MVP at the Great Lakes Classic where he showed off his range behind the arc. Like the Tigers, Ignatius will look to be an up-tempo team that pushes the ball up court.
Both of these teams have similar playing style. Ignatius does not boast the experience that Cleveland Heights has which will put a lot of pressure on the Ignatius lineup. This will not be a low scoring game; if you are in the Cleveland area I would advise you to attend this one. In the end, I believe the Tigers will be too much for the Wildcats and will pull away shortly after the half.